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Athens, in the finals, claimed this important distinction from Toulouse (France), Hamburg (Germany), Lueven (Belgium), Omeo (Sweden) and Aarhus.
"We have shown that it is possible to do something else through partnerships with civil society and with a plan for the city," said Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis in an exclusive statement. to EPA-MPA for the proclamation of Athens as the 2018 innovation capital.
From Lisbon where he attended the special declaration of proclamation, Mr Kaminis stressed that "this award belongs to all, especially the citizens of Athens who have worked with the municipality to overcome the crisis and since the price is attributed to the capital ". throughout Greece ".
"Thanks to innovation, Athens has found a new goal to deal with the economic and social crisis.It turns out that what matters are not the difficulties themselves, but how you raise your stature in front of them. "
At the Lisbon summit, Carlos Moentas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, said that Athens was the winner of the European Commission's award for the European capital of the European Union. 39, innovation, accompanied by a price of one million euros.
"Cities are a source of innovation, they attract talents, chapters, opportunities like magnets, and with the title of European Capital of Innovation, we reward cities that go one step further to test new ideas, technologies and methods and to listen to the point of view of their citizens on how their city should change, Moence.
Some of the innovations promoted by the city of Athens, according to the communication from the Commission, are as follows:
* The POLIS² project, which aims to revitalize abandoned buildings by providing small grants to residents, small businesses, creative communities and other civil society groups, and brings to life all corners of Athens.
* Renovation of Kypseli Municipal Market, a 90-year-old building with the active support of the citizens of Athens, aims to create a social business model that will host exhibitions, workshops, theatrical performances and other initiatives.
* The exploitation of the seraphic complex with its transformation into a popular entertainment venue for children, hosting a series of initiatives such as the Athens Digital Lab, the Open Schools or the Cultural Network of the Municipality of Athens, and a center of modernist events after a joint decision of the municipality and the local community.
* Curing the limbo initiativewhich offers refugees and migrants the opportunity to interact with other residents to learn the language, learn new skills, find jobs and engage in active citizenship.
* The digital board, where the municipality brings together businesses and educational institutions to provide training in computer and digital technologies, as well as to promote applications for sustainable innovation, such as smart recycling bins.
* The initiative "it's Athens", In which the municipality has called volunteers to talk about the present and past of the city to some five million tourists who visited Athens in 2017.
The initiative of the European Capital of Innovation this year was launched in February 2018 and concerns cities of more than 100,000 inhabitants from EU Member States and countries Horizon 2020 Framework Program. Twenty-six cities from 16 countries have applied.
The selection of the winning city and the following five cities was done by a committee of independent high-level experts from local communities, universities, businesses and the non-profit sector, according to the text of the Commission.
Criteria for attribution – experimentation, participation, expansion, empowerment – examine how cities use innovation and new technologies to respond to societal challenges, and how they involve local communities more in decision-making . and how they improve the lives of their citizens.
The contest was held for the first time in 2014. The winning cities are Barcelona (2014), Amsterdam (2016) and Paris (2017).
The awards are awarded as part of the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, with a budget of 77 billion euros (2014-2020).
The next competition of the European Capital of Innovation is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2019.
Cities in second place – Denmark (Denmark), Hamburg (Germany), Leeuwen (Belgium), Toulouse (France) and Umeo (Sweden) – each received € 100,000.
The prize money will be used to strengthen local innovation activities and cooperation with other cities.
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